Mass Readings & Missal

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year B

8 September 2024

INTRODUCTION

Good morning. My name is ………. and I would like to wish you a warm welcome to our Mass at

Holy Spirit Church, Kurri Kurri/ St Joseph’s, Cessnock/ St Francis Xavier’s Abermain/ St Michael’s, Wollombi/

The priest celebrating with us today is Father James and assisting him is Deacon Viane.

This weekend, the Catholic Church in Australia marks Safeguarding Sunday, on which we pray for those who have been abused, their families and supporters. We remember the many children and vulnerable adults who have been subjected to life changing abuse by those in positions of privilege and trust. We pledge our commitment to work towards a safer world for those in most need of our care.

Please stand for the Processional hymn

GREETING
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  AMEN
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,

and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And with your spirit.

PENITENTIAL ACT

Lord Jesus, you open the ears of the deaf: Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you give courage to those who are afraid: Christ, have mercy.

All: Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you love the lowly and the poor: Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

GLORIA

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you,

we bless you,

we adore you,

we glorify you,

we give you thanks for your great glory,

Lord God, heavenly King,

O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,

Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us;

you take away the sins of the world,

receive our prayer;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father,

have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,

you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High,

Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father.

AMEN

COLLECT

O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption,

look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters,

that those who believe in Christ

may receive true freedom

and an everlasting inheritance.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

AMEN

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

FIRST READING

Isaiah 35:4-7

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

Then the ears of the deaf shall be opened and the tongues of the dumb speak.

Say to all faint hearts,

‘Courage! Do not be afraid.

‘Look, your God is coming,

vengeance is coming,

the retribution of God;

he is coming to save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

the ears of the deaf unsealed,

then the lame shall leap like a deer

and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy;

for water gushes in the desert,

streams in the wasteland,

the scorched earth becomes a lake,

the parched land springs of water.

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

 RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Ps 145:7-10. R. v.1

(R.) Praise the Lord, my soul!

1. It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,

who is just to those who are oppressed.

It is he who gives bread to the hungry,

the Lord, who sets prisoners free. (R.)

2. It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,

who raises up those who are bound down,

the Lord who loves the just,

the Lord, who protects the stranger. (R.)

3. The Lord upholds the widow and orphan,

but thwarts the path of the wicked.

The Lord will reign for ever,

Zion’s God, from age to age. (R.)

SECOND READING

A reading from the letter of St James

Has not God chosen the poor of the world to inherit the kingdom?

My brothers, do not try to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with the making of distinctions between classes of people. Now suppose a man comes into your synagogue, beautifully dressed and with a gold ring on, and at the same time a poor man comes in, in shabby clothes, and you take notice of the well-dressed man, and say, ‘Come this way to the best seats’; then you tell the poor man, ‘Stand over there’ or ‘You can sit on the floor by my foot-rest.’ Can’t you see that you have used two different standards in your mind, and turned yourselves into judges, and corrupt judges at that?

Listen, my dear brothers: it was those who are poor according to the world that God chose, to be rich in faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.

The word of the Lord.   Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION cf Matthew 4:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus preached the Good News of the kingdom

and healed all who were sick. Alleluia!

GOSPEL

Mark 7:31-37

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.

Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region. And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely they published it. Their admiration was unbounded. ‘He has done all things well,’ they said ‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.

The Gospel of the Lord

All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

HOMILY

PROFESSION OF FAITH

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,

born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;

through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation

he came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,

he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day

in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins

and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the world to come.   AMEN

UNIVERSAL PRAYER – PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

Celebrant: We know that our God will hear our prayers and will save those who are oppressed. Let us lift our needs to God with these petitions.

Commentator

1.   We pray for Pope Francis as he leads our Church to change our attitudes. May he maintain his strength to consolidate the beginnings of change. (Pause) In faith we pray:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

2.   We pray that nations will promote fairness and justice for all, regardless of difference or class. (Pause) In faith we pray:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

3.   We pray for those who have worked hard to change attitudes to the care of children and vulnerable adults. May they find support in their communities and be assured of real change. (Pause) In faith we pray:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

4.   We pray for those who have been victims of abuse, within church communities, within their families and within our wider community and workplaces. May the recognition of their pain bring them some relief so that they can begin to recover.  (Pause) In faith we pray:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

5.   We pray for ourselves as we gather here to thank our Father for the gift of the Son. May we truly open our ears to hear the gospel and live it authentically in the world. (Pause) In faith we pray:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

6.   We pray for all those who bear the cross of sickness, pain and suffering. May the comforting hands and listening ears around them show true compassion for their needs.  (Pause) In faith we pray:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

7.   We pray that those who have died will inherit the kingdom prepared for them by the Lord. We pray especially for our recently deceased including …….. and for those whose anniversaries occur around this time including ……. (Pause) In faith we pray:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

 Celebrant

Faithful God, you have chosen the poor and the lowly to be heirs of your kingdom. Hear our prayers and open our eyes to your presence that we may be instruments of your kindness and mercy to all people. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen

THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS

O God, who give us the gift of true prayer and of peace,

graciously grant that through this offering,

we may do fitting homage to your divine majesty

and, by partaking of the sacred mystery,

we may be faithfully united in mind and heart.

Through Christ our Lord.

AMEN

The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right and just.

PREFACE

Preface for Reconciliation I

It is truly right and just

that we should always give you thanks,

Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

For you do not cease to spur us on to possess a more abundant life

and, being rich in mercy, you constantly offer pardon

and call on sinners to trust in your forgiveness alone.

Never did you turn away from us,

and, though time and again we have broken your covenant,

you have bound the human family to yourself

through Jesus your Son, our Redeemer,

with a new bond of love so tight that it can never be undone.

Even now you set before your people a time of grace and reconciliation,

and, as they turn back to you in spirit,

you grant them hope in Christ Jesus and a desire to be of service to all,

while they entrust themselves more fully to the Holy Spirit.

And so, filled with wonder,

we extol the power of your love,

and, proclaiming our joy

at the salvation that comes from you,

we join in the heavenly hymn of countless hosts,

as without end we acclaim:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

THE MYSTERY OF FAITH

Save us, Saviour of the world,

for by your Cross and Resurrection

you have set us free.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Grant that your faithful, O Lord,

whom you nourish and endow with life

through the food of your Word and heavenly Sacrament,

may so benefit from your beloved Son's great gifts

that we may merit an eternal share in his life.

Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

AMEN.

DISMISSAL

Go forth, the Mass is ended.

Thanks be to God.